RWBY - Welcome to Mistral
by MattHunX
Summary: How Volume 5 will start, in my head. Post Volume 4 Finale, after the after-credits scene with Qrow and Oscar. Picking up right after. The team meet Oscar, have their world turned even more upside down and make their way to Haven Academy, not entirely without trouble.


**RWBY – Welcome to Mistral**

Whether someone was beholding the city of Mistral from afar, or gazing at the land from it, the view was majestic, even humbling. The awe felt by all those new to its splendor transcended, even if only momentarily, whatever sorrow or grief they had. From one of its taverns came strolling out a tall, lean man with greying spiky hair, slight stubble, a red tattered cloak and sword on his back, worn over a grey dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. He was followed by a young boy with a tanned complexion, freckles, and black hair, wearing a white collared shirt, orange suspenders that held up his olive pants, which had a brown patch sewn onto both knees, with his pant legs covered by dark brown work boots. A white scarf was around his neck, and a multicolored, striped one was hanging from the left pocket of his pants, which he smoothed with an orange-gloved hand that had dark gray straps on them, holding a cane in the other. Clearly he hailed from the more rural parts of the Kingdom, which showed even more as he meekly came up behind the man, turning to marvel at the buildings built into the mountain-side that almost looked like they reached the skies.

"Let me guess, first-time in the city." Qrow noticed his unfamiliarity with the place.

"More like first-time _anywhere_." the boy said and Qrow smiled.

"Hm. Just like my niece." he commented and the boy seemed as if he instantly knew the person mentioned, despite never having met them.

" _How_ _ **is**_ _Ms. Rose?"_ asked a concerned voice, in his head.

"H-how is...Ms. Rose? Uh, _he's_ asking." he asked and added, the question not being entirely his own.

"Doin' better, now, that we finally made it here. She's never been far from home or anywhere outside the Kingdom. Vale." he added with a side-nod, remembering the man he was answering knew which kingdom he meant, but the boy, in front of him, did not. "She and the others've been through a lot. Already more than they ever would've inside a classroom. They sure crammed in some studyin' along the way. Works a lot better than some history class, if ya ask me. No offense to Bart." He turned to the boy. "Uh, he's..."

"A colleague. I-I mean, _his_ colleague." The boy corrected himself, as the memory he had of the man was not his own. "A teacher at Beacon Academy. Or...he was, until the school...um..." he trailed off.

" _Are they safe? Is Vale?"_ The voice sounded more agitated.

"Uh…he…wants to know if they're okay. The other teachers?" the boy told Qrow. "And the kingdom. Or…the…city?" He made a face, suddenly unsure which one he was meant to be referring to.

"They made a safe-zone, outside the city, like the General suggested. Bart and Pete stuck around for the evacuation and Glynda…she's burnin' herself out, tryin' t'put the entire city back together, piece by piece. No use tellin' 'er to take a break." Qrow explained the situation.

" _I see."_ Ozpin noted it all, with more relief than put a hand to his temple as more memories surfaced. He saw the fear and panic that overtook the city and its people. Many were fleeing, running for their lives, in a battle of a much larger war that came to them, shattering any illusions of safety they once harbored.

"This whole thing must be doing a real number on yer head." Qrow said, as he looked at him.

"I'm…getting used to it." The boy tried brushing it off.

"Well, good. 'Cause..."

"Uncle Qrow!" Qrow stopped saying what he intended, when he heard his niece and spotted her from across the square they stood on, as she was walking towards him with the rest of the gang.

"Oh, boy." he sighed.

"This...is going to be awkward." the boy said.

"Yep." Qrow agreed.

"We…could just say I was asking for directions or something." Qrow turned to him, seriously considering his idea. "Why not?" The boy suddenly asked, to the side, as if there was another person with them. Qrow furrowed his brows, not understanding why the man he knew would want to stay. "He says we shouldn't be separated." the boy quickly whispered to Qrow, who did not have time for a reply, as Ruby and the others caught up to them. There was surprise on their faces, as they stopped and silently stared, not at the boy, but what he was holding in his hand. He looked at the cane Qrow gave him, the one he had been holding onto, until recently, understanding the reason for the sudden attention it was getting.

"That's Ozpin's cane." Jaune recognized it, as did the others. "Why is he…?" He glanced at Qrow.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked. Qrow exchanged looks with the young man, who, for reasons unbeknownst to them, was holding a personal item of the late headmaster of their fallen academy.

"Uh...this is...um..." Qrow attempted to introduce him and realized he did not even know and have not even asked his name.

"I'm Oscar. Oscar Pine. Nice to meet you." He raised a hand, giving a weak wave, as Qrow gave a quick scratch to the side of his own head.

"Um, I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose." Ruby replied, saying her name, then her full name, in the same way, with a wave of her own.

"Yeah, I...I know." Oscar nodded and Ruby appeared briefly surprised by it. She glanced at her uncle, thinking he must have mentioned her.

"I'm Jaune...Arc." Jaune extended a hand and Oscar shook it.

"Right." he nodded and looked at Nora, who was about to speak. "Nora...Valkyrie." he said as the memories came to him, turning to the last member of the group. "And you're Lie Ren." he stated, to their confusion.

"Oh. Are we famous?" Nora asked, giddily, thinking their exploits have not gone unnoticed.

"Well, _maybe_ not yet." Oscar stretched the word, emphasizing it with a small smile, as it sounded like something the man in his head told him he had a chance at achieving, by playing his role. _Greatness_ , it echoed in him.

"Have we met?" Ruby asked one obvious question, tilting her head slightly to the side. Oscar looked at Qrow and lightly shrugged.

"In a way." he answered and was meat by more confused faces. Qrow sighed.

"Well, it's time for another story." Qrow said, took out his flask, twisted the cap off and took a swig. "Gonna need a refill." he added, looking at it almost forebodingly.

"You just had one." Oscar told him, almost criticizing Qrow and the latter scrutinized him, suspecting the words were not his own.

" _That_ was actually me." Oscar thought to mention.

"Hmph." Qrow let out a short laugh. "You're already startin' t' sound like him." he told Oscar.

They both noted the strange looks from RNJR, as their exchange was not helping to clarify the situation for them. Qrow rolled his eyes, with another sigh, one hand on his hip, as he put his flask away with the other. "Alright, I'm gonna keep this one short, for all our sake's. I told you about the Maidens and how their power is passed on." He did a recap and Oscar glanced to the side, as if he heard something.

"You...did?" It was more the man inside him, who was asking.

"Yeah." Qrow replied. "And some o' the other stuff, too."

"Like...?" Oscar raised a brow and Qrow let out an exasperated sigh.

"The gods. Her silver eyes." He nodded at Ruby. "And Salem. For now." he added. "I had to, alright!" Qrow raised his voice, trying to justify the reveal of information and it looked like as if he was making excuses for the young man.

"O...kay." Oscar awkwardly accepted it, knowing none of it was meant for him and Qrow calmed down, the oddness of the scene not lost on him.

"Anyway..." he continued "The thing is...the power of the maidens…ain't the only thing that's passed on, from one t' the next. There's...a person, _one guy_ , who doesn't pass on any _powers_. Instead, he passes on all of his memories, everything he knows, to someone he chooses." He looked at Oscar. "And from what he told me, he's been doing it...for a while." He kept it vague. "All of us…knew him as Ozpin." There was silence. Only the wind could be heard. They heard a yelp, a thud, then the scattering of a box of pins, as a boy, carrying a set, tripped on a crack in the road. He was hastily putting them all back in, giving them an embarrassed glance. They briefly forgot about the new revelation, so much so, that they even looked between Qrow and the unfortunate boy, including Oscar, who had another flash of recollections.

"Was that...you?" he started to ask Qrow if his semblance had anything to do with what occurred. His answer was to slowly and quietly take his flask back out, again, for another swig, his face, passive, the entire time.

"So, basically, Oscar, here..." he gestured with his flask "Is the next one, in a long line, to carry on the fight. Much like the Maidens." he concluded, giving them enough to absorb, as far as he was concerned. None of them knew how and what to say or ask, apart from the obvious questions that would have only led to a dozen more. Oscar shifted.

"He says _hi._ " he shrugged. "Well, he didn't really say _hi_ , I...don't think he said that word, in his life. He...says he's glad...to see that you have... _persevered_." He made a face at the word and Ruby blinked, her disbelief and confusion vanishing some.

"That...does sound like the Professor." she commented. "But, how?" She shook her head, glancing at her uncle, who knew they could not help but pry for more of an explanation than what they were given.

"Look, just let it sink in. Okay?" Qrow told her. "You can all do without the details, for now. Trust me." he said to the side, speaking from experience.

"That's how you know all of us." Jaune stated, putting it together.

"Yep." Oscar quietly replied. "He told me the same thing happened to him, when he was...around my age. He started hearing a voice, like me. It's still weird, every time I remember...things he knew. I still talk to him, out loud." he added, sheepishly. "Got to stop doing that, before people think I'm crazy. It was enough when _I_ thought I was crazy." he added.

"So...he's in there, with you, in your head, talking to you?" Jaune asked.

"Sometimes." Oscar said. "He warns me about people. And things. We're supposed to share our minds, so...we don't really have to talk. But, it's all coming to me slowly. It…takes time for some memories." he explained. "He doesn't really need time to see _mine_ , though." he muttered to the side, with some annoyance, to Ozpin.

"So, he told you he was glad to see we made it." Jaune repeated, then his tone turned dark. "At least, he didn't say all of us. Because not _all_ of us did!" He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe we could have! If it weren't for all his secrets! If he'd trusted us!" Ruby saw the same anger in him he showed after listening to her uncle's explanation of events that also led to the loss of their friends. Ren and Nora cast their eyes on the ground. Jaune's face softened, as he could see the slight discomfort on Oscar's. "Sorry, that wasn't for you." he apologetically pointed out.

"I know." Oscar did not think it was really needed. After a long few seconds, Jaune folded his arms.

"Well...is he saying anything?" Oscar glanced to the side, again, which was an indication Ozpin might have said something.

" _What_ _ **can**_ _I say?"_ Ozpin asked, afflicted by a deep regret, for which, even if he _could_ have found the words for, they would not have sufficed.

"What _can_ he say?" Oscar quoted him. "That's what he said." he quickly added. "He really sounds broken up about it, if...that's anything. He's definitely feeling a lot guiltier about it than getting in _my head_. Thanks a lot." he dryly muttered to the side, out loud, to Ozpin.

"Isn't that nice of him?" Jaune replied, sharing Oscar's dryness.

"Jaune..." Ruby tried to stop him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No!" He shrugged her hand off. "We lost our friends! People died! Penny and Pyrrha are both gone and they're never coming back, while _he_ _ **can**_! And he has to _ruin_ someone's life to do it!" Jaune's anger echoed off the street and its buildings. "And who knows how many people he did it to!" he exclaimed, throwing up his hands, then he glowered over Oscar, again. "How many _lives_ did you steal?" His voice became an - almost pleading - whisper as he grabbed Oscar by the side of his shoulders and he was trembling. "How many _kids_ you just took and made them leave their home? Their _family_! Their _friends_!" He shook Oscar and was louder with every sentence.

"Jaune!" Ruby pleaded with him, grabbing a hold of him, as her own eyes teared up. Ren and Nora each grabbed one of his shoulders. Qrow got a grip on his wrist and Jaune had to remember to see Oscar from Ozpin. He let go of him and backed away. Even though telling Oscar he was sorry was not needed, he did not say anything more, at all and simply turned to walk away.

"And where are _you_ goin'?" Qrow called after him.

"I'm talking a walk!" Jaune snapped back, quoting what Qrow told them after their talk around the campfire.

"We're supposed to...! Tch. Damn it." Qrow let out an irate grown. "Look, we've gotta stick together. Especially in this city." he told the rest of them, echoing what Ozpin told him through Oscar. And also, what Ozpin had been saying the entire time he knew him, that besides not creating panic, they must never be divided on however small or large a scale, by anything.

"I'll bring him back." Nora turned to go after him.

"Forget it!" Qrow stopped her. "Let 'im cool off. We're gonna have to make... _this_ work." He paused to look at Oscar.

"Well, I know he doesn't have a problem with _me_." Oscar understood. "I didn't get punched, after all." he pointed out with a small shrug. "Good thing your friend isn't here _in person_ , though." he added, sensing that if Ozpin had been there, Jaune might have done more." So…is he going to be okay?" he asked, as Jaune nearly disappeared down the street.

"Yeah, it's just that we've been traveling for, like, eight months." Ruby started. "And we haven't really talked about...any of it. I guess he couldn't keep it all inside, anymore. And talking to the Professor...after everything it..." she trailed off, shaking her head, still not quite used to the fact their professor, who they all thought for certain had perished, was with them.

"It looked like he would've had a lot to say, even if it weren't for...they way this...all works." Oscar gestured at himself and the process he was going through, carrying on more than just Ozpin's legacy.

"So...how...?" Ruby began, unsure of what to ask. "How is he? The Professor." Oscar seemed to wait for an answer.

"He's...well. _Circumstances aside_." Oscar made air-quotes. _"Your concern is appreciated."_ He put his hands down.

"Sure sounds like him." Ruby commented.

"That's Oz for ya." Qrow said.

"You knew he could do this…thing?" Ruby asked him, pointed between him and Oscar.

"He told me, a long time ago. And before things started getting out of hand at Beacon, I promised that if he didn't make it, I'd hold onto some of his _belongings_ for 'im, until he'd track me down. We agreed to meet up, here, in Mistral." Qrow explained. "Heh. Most people would think it was a heck of a coincidence you just happened to take a train, all the way from the countryside." Qrow told Oscar.

"He said that…leaving everything behind would be the hardest part of it all." Oscar replied, saddening some. "And it is." he confided. "Finding you wasn't actually that hard." He turned to look at the bar, behind them. "Luckily, it was this one place. Looking for you in all of them would've taken longer than actually getting here." Qrow gave him a suspicious look, again. " _That_ was _him_." Oscar emphasized, proving Qrow's suspicion right, that it was Ozpin who had that particular concern.

"That's my uncle's favorite pass-time. Bar wenches and waitresses." Ruby had a small smirk, gaining back some of her cheerfulness and Qrow smiled, too.

"Really?" Oscar asked in mock surprise and looked at the flask. "I thought it was..." Qrow grunted at him. " _Something_ else." Oscar did not say it plainly, averting his eyes.

"So, why didn't the Professor just get in _your_ head?" Nora asked Qrow. Ruby looked from her to him.

"Yeah." She also wondered.

"It doesn't work like that. There are rules. Like with the Maidens. Only…weirder ones." Qrow glanced at Oscar.

"Weirder how?" Ruby cocked her head to the side. Qrow rolled his eyes and his shoulders slumped, along with his head.

"We don't have to know right now." Ren stated. Ruby looked at him. "We should be making our way to Haven Academy." he reminded all of them.

"You're right." Ruby conceded.

"Hopefully Leo ain't busy." Qrow thought, looking at Oscar. "'Cause he's about t' be." He looked past them, as Jaune returned to their side, with his head soaked.

"Why's your head all wet?" Nora noticed water was dripping from his hair and drops were on his face.

"I found a fountain." Jauned flatly stated he literally cooled himself off. Ruby could not resist snorting a small laugh and Jaune's expression softened.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, with more seriousness. For a few seconds, Jaune looked at Oscar, then back at Ruby and replied.

"I will be." he assured them. "We should head to Haven." He looked at Qrow, focusing on their task and Qrow gave him an appreciative nod, seeing his resolve and his willingness to put certain issues aside, until they were done.

"So…what's Professor Lionheart like?" Ruby asked.

"Eh, he's like Oz, only shy and less…mysterious." Qrow replied.

"That's not how you usually describe him." Oscar pointed out and Qrow's eyes briefly widened.

"Alright. He's a 'fraidy cat. There. Happy?" Qrow looked pointedly at him and he could see Oscar was listening to some additional information from Ozpin.

" _Perhaps he does exercise_ _ **more**_ _than a fair amount of caution. In every facet of his life, in fact. One would not know simply by looking at him."_

"Meaning?" Oscar asked out loud.

" _He's…a rather large man. One could even say intimidating, if they did not know him."_ Ozpin described.

"Oh." Oscar looked at Qrow. The latter raised a brow, prompting him to say something on whatever he has been told. "So, he's not as tough as he looks, then." Oscar summarized.

" _Not precisely what I meant."_ Ozpin noted.

"Oh, he's tough." Qrow corrected Oscar. "Wouldn't be a headmaster if he wasn't. He's like…" He paused as he glanced at Ruby, thinking about her father and deciding not to mention him in such a regard, even if the memories Ozpin had of Taiyang could help Oscar understand the comparison. "A _lion_ …" He shrugged, not really needing to find any other analogue in the animal kingdom, for the man. "That doesn't really use his claws or fangs and tries to avoid a fight. Wouldn't even chase after prey. Then tells the others to go graze on berries and worries if something might jump out from the bushes." Oscar stared at him, as team RNJR slowly blinked. Qrow shrugged, not caring if his analogy was even sound.

"So, he's like a big softy lion!" Nora exclaimed.

"Sure. If you wanna put it nicely." Qrow told her, putting his hands in his pockets. "Now, let's get goin'!" He turned to lead them towards the Academy.

"What, no refill?" Oscar asked him and Qrow whipped around to look at him. He deliberated for a second and strode back towards the bar.

"Uncle Qro-oh-ow!" Ruby complainingly called after him, drawing his name out.

"I'll be back in a minute!" Qrow told her over his shoulder, as he got to the doors, where he abruptly stopped, when he saw two people inside, facing the bartender, who they had backed against the shelves with a blade to his throat. The man's fearful eyes looked up at him and the two assailants turned to reveal the Grimm-masks of the White Fang covering their faces. They immediately rushed towards the entrance. Qrow reached for his sword, alarming the others and the glass shattered on the front doors, as the two members broke through it, attacking him. He got his blade out in front of him, throwing himself over one of them as he parried the blade of the other one that came from above. The latter, a slender, short-haired, brunette girl, with antelope-ears, stared him down, as the other, a large, long-haired man, with a ram's horns, looked to their side, noticing Qrow was not alone. The woman also saw they were outnumbered. She put her fingers to her mouth and whistled. Three more of their brethren came out from behind the bar, possibly through a back-entrance, by which they likely entered the place unnoticed. They ran across the wooden floor and jumped through the windows. Qrow moved back, as five others appeared from the two alleyways on either side of the bar. Three of them came from the left and spread out behind the team, cutting off their escape route, joined by the two, from the other alley, as they shuffled around to surround them, while being covered by the five from the bar, who kept Qrow from making a move. They were outnumbered, almost two to one. Their enemy was carrying swords and maces, along with small side-arms they had not intended to immediately use, because of the added attention they would have drawn.

"The White Fang?" Ruby turned to look at all of them, in surprise.

"Who are these people?" Oscar asked, afraid of their situation.

" _Members from a radical branch of an organization of Faunus, whose legitimate cause was taken to...extremes by sadly misguided youth."_ Ozpin gave a tactful summary.

"A bunch of _stupid kids_ , who think they're fighting the good-fight." Qrow summed them up, in his own way. "Whaddaya want with us?" he asked the two that attacked him.

"Stupid kids, are we?" the girl retorted. "Well, these stupid kids will stop _you_ from messing up our plans!" she swore.

"What _plans_?" Qrow genuinely had no idea and did not get any clarification, either, as they launched into a vicious, almost haphazard assault.

"Like you have no idea!" She locked swords with Qrow. She was pushing with both hands, whereas Qrow held on with one. "We won't let you screw up _years_ of work! _We'll_ be the ones who'll get rid of you!" she yelled, sounding like she needed to prove herself, along with the rest, unleashing a combo she thought would be enough to break Qrow's defense. Qrow danced around her, giving her a condescending smile, to which she gritted her teeth. The ram-like man charged at him. Qrow saw him coming, grabbed one of his horns, kicked himself off from the girl's chest and flipped over him, yanking him down with his weight. He slammed him into the ground and got in front of the remaining three, on his side, making a horizontal swipe to force them back. He was trying to put some distance between himself and the team. From the two White Fang members who were lying on the ground, the ram was out cold, already, while the girl was clutching her chest, having difficulty catching her breath.

"Ough, that had to have hurt." Oscar quietly commented.

"This guy's not messing around." One of the five members, closest to the team, said out loud.

"Actually, I am." Qrow smugly told him, turning his head, not even looking at the three in front of him. "You kids'll be a good warm-up." he pointed out, goading them.

"Why you…" The three closest to him attacked, one after the other. Qrow leapt and ran along their heads, using them as stepping stones, to get further away, ending up on their other side.

"Stay behind me!" Jaune stepped in front of Oscar with his shield raised and nodded to Ruby, who suddenly had a wicked smirk. She burst forward, into a blur of rose petals, kicking a member in the chest, in a blink of an eye. Before the others could react she crouched and spun with her already extended scythe, tripping both of them. Neither of them could even hit the ground, though, as Ren fly-kicked one, making him hurtle along the stony road, whole Nora ran up and batted the other away with her hammer, sending him flying across the street. Each one of them ended up farther back than the last, with their auras shimmering, indicating they have absorbed the brunt of the damage, but they were still hit hard enough that they were temporarily incapacitated.

"Aww! No new record!" Nora pouted and that was the moment the rest of the White Fang soldiers realized they went in over their heads. Jaune looked over to see how Qrow was faring, as the latter was a whirlwind in between his three opponents. He saw the antelope girl had picked herself up from the ground and set her sight on him. Oscar kept back and Jaune readied himself, as she ran at him. He deflected her sword with his shield, pushing it to the side, then countered with his own, moving slower than her, but more carefully. Her attacks had ill-temper behind them. Their fastness, not merely a result of her nimbleness was also working against her, as they fought evenly. One of the two remaining members went to her aid and flanked Jaune from the side, who could even fend off the first couple of attacks, alternating between the two, before being overwhelmed. Oscar worriedly turned from one fight to the next, as Nora stepped in and separated the man from Jaune's fight, while Ren got in front of the last one, drawing his attention. Ruby smiled when she saw three of their soldiers struggling with her uncle. And obviously not the other way around. Then she glanced behind her to see the first three members they took down hobbling back. Nora used the shaft of her hammer to block, then jabbed with the head, making her opponent stagger back, before properly pommeling them. Ren went hand-to-hand, driving his opponent's fist to the side and immediately back-handing him with the same hand, with the fastness of his strikes stunning them long enough for him to kick their feet from under them. By all accounts, the fight seemed entirely one-sided, despite their numbers. Ruby readied herself to take on the three members from earlier and swung into action, locking weapons, pushing them off, slashing and turning, until she got behind them, similarly to what Qrow was doing. She looked towards him just as another White Fang member stepped out from an alley, behind her uncle, holding a firearm. He raised it, aiming at Qrow's back, who had not noticed, as he was leading the three he was fighting further away. Ruby panicked, barely having a second to weigh her options, of which there were none. Three of them were directly in front of her, blocking her way. Jaune was fighting one off as the ram-like Faunus regained consciousness and stood to aid the girl against him, while another three, were cornering her uncle to be shot in the back, unbeknownst to the latter. Aura or not, Ruby was not going to take the chance that he would get hurt. Not after he already suffered a nearly fatal dose of poisoning because of her recklessness.

" _We must act!"_ Oscar heard Ozpin tell him.

"What do you want _me_ to-…?" Oscar almost finished asking, when not one, but three different rose-red blurs flew past him, trailing petals. Jaune stumbled as they came from behind and went around him. His opponent covered her eyes against the blast of wind that followed them. Qrow's eyes widened when he saw them coming, snaking past the three men and himself to bunch together and reveal her niece, who crouched behind him as a shot was supposed to go off. It did not, however. Ruby held her scythe in front of her and slowly opened her eyes, when she heard the repeated clicks of a jammed weapon. The gunman kept pulling the trigger, as Ruby smirked. Then the weapon went off, without warning. Ruby reflexively covered behind the blade of her scythe, flinching as the bullet ricocheted off of it, skyward, where it cut the rope of a hanging potted plant. It fell, missing the gunman by a hair, who jerked back in surprise. Ruby's brief grin faded and her face dropped, as she thought it would hit him. She disappointedly glanced at her uncle, understanding his semblance must have evened out both her own luck and that of their enemy's. Qrow shrugged at her and looked up at the fortunate man, whose luck, he knew, was about to turn for the worse, again, as Ruby turned to face him, after seeing where his attention was. Before the gunman had time to ponder how and what happened, his world was suddenly spinning, as his feet were swiped from under him. He did, at least, three whole flips, before hitting the ground, in front of Ruby, who stood from her rush attack.

"Enough of this! Play-time is over!" one of the men angrily yelled, reaching for his own firearm, as did all of the others. Two shots rang out and a pair of flare-like projectiles arced their way into the middle of the group, each hitting the ground between the two packs of three men, almost at the same time. The explosions sent them flying, half of them against the walls of the bar, while the other half was thrown to the ground. The antelope and ram Faunus knew they were defeated and they searched for the one responsible for handing them their final blow. The team followed their gaze and Ruby could not believe her eyes, as her sister was standing in the middle of the street, aviator-glasses and all. She took them off, before speaking.

"Better tuck yer tail and run, if ya have one!" Yang smoothly told all of the White Fang, who started scurrying away.

"Yang!" Ruby already forgot all about them, as she made a bee-line to her, jumping in her arms. Both of them. She only noticed then and she pulled back to stare at her new cybernetic prosthetic that was painted black and yellow. "Wow…" she whispered. "Where did you…? H-How? When!? What're you _doing_ here? When did you leave from home? Does dad know? What'd he say? Is he okay? Are _you_ okay?" Ruby rattled on.

"I'm fine! Dad's, too! _He_ got me this." She waved her arm. "He said the General was already havin' it made, before he even asked him for one. Then, he trained with me." she said and Ruby looked pleasantly surprised, happy that her sister gained back her fighting spirit and was seemingly her old self, again. "After I got used to it, I headed out. I told him where I was going. But, I didn't think I'd catch up with you guys _this_ fast. Even with Bumblebee." she commented.

"Where…is it?" Ruby could not see Yang's motorcycle, anywhere.

"I parked her near this place, a few blocks down. Looked like a mechanics shop." Yang pointed with her thumb behind her. "This place is _huge_!" she exclaimed, looking around.

"Yeah. And I thought Vale was amazing!" Ruby agreed, taking in more of it.

"Well, if it ain't the firecracker!" Qrow greeted her, as he walked up to them with the others. Oscar stayed a few paces behind and Yang did not immediately notice the new face. He, on the other hand, needed only a few seconds, before he recognized her.

"It's…her sister." he said to himself, as he watched them talk.

" _Paternal half-sister, to be exact."_ Ozpin corrected him. _"Apparently Ms. Xiao Long could not leave together with them. I can see why." Oscar was looking at Yang's prosthetic arm. "It seems she had to overcome certain hurdles, before she felt ready, both physically and mentally. Her worries may have been unwarranted, however. Judging by their performance, Ms. Rose's use of her semblance has improved, immensely. As did Mr. Arc's prowess."_ Ozpin commented.

"What about those two?" Oscar referred to Ren and Nora.

" _Mr. Ren and Ms. Valkyrie were…more experienced than most, even before they were accepted into the academy, due to their past. Students from all walks of life find…found their way to my school."_ he corrected himself. _"Their upbringing or in some cases, an unfortunate lack thereof, meant they had to learn to fend for themselves before they would even join a combat school, let alone a higher institution. Every now and then we had students who came from such backgrounds."_

"You're…thinking of someone." Oscar told him and concentrated on the memory. "The White Fang. Faunus. She's…a Faunus. Black? No. Blake?" He blinked.

" _Ms. Belladonna, yes. She is an example of someone who escaped her past. For whom joining the academy offered a purpose. A new life. Unfortunately…_ " Ozpin's tone changed. " _Not everyone can break from their past. Some return to it, despite the progress they have made and the bonds they forged."_ he said with sadness and disappointment.

"I…see a…raven?" Oscar was confused, as he literally saw only the avian itself and yet, something was telling him there was more to it. "I'm not even going to ask." he told Ozpin.

"You do not need to." Ozpin stated, reminding him of their own unique bond.

"Right." Oscar sighed.

"Qrow?" Yang acknowledge him, with some surprise. "You've been with them this whole time?" She was glad her sister and the others were not entirely alone.

"Uh, he's been kinda following us, since we left. But, he's only been traveling with us for a day or two." Ruby told her, confusing Yang. "We ran into some crazy guy, who was after me and Uncle Qrow showed up and…um..." Ruby gave him a sad look, not wanting to relate the whole story, right then, including the ones he told them. "Um…we…got a lot to tell you, sis." Yang saw her nervousness, which was replaced by mild annoyance. "And I just wrote you and dad a letter!" she remembered. "On paper!" she stomped a foot. "With a pen and everything." she added, looking at the ground, saddened and shuffled her feet.

"I'm sure dad'll appreciate it. The first one… _didn't_ go over so well." she referred to the one Ruby left on her bed, before they all left in secret and she looked sorry about it. "I don't think he'll ever stop worrying." Yang pointed out and Ruby understood all too well.

"For good reason." Qrow stated, with seriousness. "Yer old man always worries way too much, if ya ask me. But _now_ …? Well, let's just say that the things you ran into, so far, were good for practice." he noted their steep learning curve and what it amounted to, in terms of what they were yet to face. "Except for that Tyrian guy. And I'm pretty sure he's not even the worst Salem will send our way." he warned them, once again threatening to dissolve any illusions they might have had about their fortune turning around, especially with he himself being around.

"Uh…who and who?" Yang had not heard either of the names the others only learned of mere days ago themselves.

"The others, here, can fill you in..." Qrow told her. "Later." Looking pointedly at the rest. "Let's get to the academy, first. We wasted enough time already." He looked around to make sure there were no more immediate threats.

"Riiight…" Yang began. "Says the guy who probably started the day in a bar, by the looks of it." she sniped at Qrow, noting what establishment they were in front of.

"Hey, everybody's gotta start their day somehow." Qrow defended himself. "Some punch trees." he told her. "Others work the field." he referred to Oscar.

"And you chase skirts." Jaune shook his head, arms folded.

"He wears them, too!" Yang laughingly snorted and Qrow's eyes briefly widened, before he narrowed them, figuring she heard it from Taiyang. Everyone else stared, as they really needed an explanation, after that comment. "Dad invited Doctor Oobleck and Professor Port over to our house." she was explaining to the others. "I overheard them talking about how they made you wear one, when you were all still students." She looked at Qrow. "Dad said you thought it was a kilt, 'cause you never wore a uniform before." Qrow sighed, amidst giggles from the girls and silent stares from the guys.

"Nothing's sacred." He shook his head. "I think I'll go check on the bartender to see if he's alright." he gave an excuse, waving his flask, as well, to not even hide the other reason he was going back in. Yang had her hands on her hips and watched him go with a victorious smile. Qrow stopped when he passed Oscar, hearing him say something.

"Hm? You said somethin'?" he asked him.

"Not to you." Oscar told him and Qrow understood he must have had a conversation with Ozpin, while they were having theirs.

"Right." he muttered the same word Oscar did a second ago and strolled on. That was when Yang noticed the unfamiliar face in their gang. She looked at Oscar, then at Ruby and back to him.

"Uh…hi." she greeted him, with a single wave.

"Hi." he meekly replied, just loud enough for them to hear from where he stood and decided to walk over to them to make introductions less awkward.

"I'm…" Yang started.

"Yang…Xiao…Long. I know. I'm Oscar." he extended his hand and Yang shook it with her prosthetic. Oscar kept staring at it and averted his eyes when she noticed.

"You know if it wasn't for that bare spot on your elbow, no one could even tell." Jaune told her, complementing her appearance.

"Pretty sweet, right?" Yang moved it about. "My dad said it's _state of the art_."

"It's sleek." Jauned agreed with a nod.

"Is it heavy?" Oscar asked.

"I don't think so. It doesn't feel any heavier than…my real arm used to. I mean, no one really feels the weight of their own arm or leg, even if it's…not _really_ their own. Right? " Yang described.

"P-r-robably." Oscar raised a brow, thinking it sounded logical enough.

"So…where'd you come from?" Yang bluntly asked.

"From…a farm?" Oscar was being unintentionally coy.

"No kidding." Yang answered in kind, hands on her hips, as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Never been to a big city?"

"Never been to anywhere." Oscar repeated what he told Qrow.

"Really? Hh, you and my baby-sis have something in common, then. She's never been anywhere, besides Vale, the city." Yang told him.

"You…live on a small island…Patch. Off the west coast." Oscar stated.

"Oh, she already told you, huh." Yang assumed, glancing at her sister with a slight smirk.

"Actually, Qrow told me." Oscar said.

"Tch. Aw. I thought you were already… _trading stories_ and stuff." Yang stretched the word.

"Uh, what're you…?" Ruby gave her a suspicious look.

"Nothing! I…just meant…Mistral's famous for its trade routes. Remember that board-game we played?" Yang reminded her of a particular playing-card that was based on them, successfully changing what she actually meant.

"Oh? Huh." Ruby was not completely convinced, however. Oscar glanced between them and Ruby gave him a friendly, assuring smile that likely meant to convey he will get used to her sister and the rest of their group. Oscar returned it.

" _Oh, dear."_ He heard Ozpin say.

"What?" he asked, to the side, drawing a look from Yang.

" _Never mind. Listen. We may have company."_ Ozpin warned him and he noticed Yang and Ruby have heard something, as well. They all looked towards the sound that was approaching from further up the street. It was similar to the rotors of the unique airships that were used in the Kingdom of Mistral. Qrow came out of the bar, as a pair of fan-boats came gliding down the street, hovering above the ground with their powerful bottom propellers. They bore the Kingdom's insignia and were part of the local police force. The men inside were dressed similarly to the unit that picked them up from Kuroyuri. Qrow groaned.

"As if one welcoming party wasn't enough." He referred to their already high-enough profile.

"You, there!" An officer leapt from one of the crafts. "Shots were reported from this district. You know anything about it?" he asked, looking over at the bunch and all the weapons they were carrying.

"Kinda." Ruby answered.

"Kinda? Wise guy, huh? Or…girl." The officer corrected himself, but he did not really appreciate the smart-alecks, even if Ruby did not mean to sound antagonizing.

"It was the White Fang! They attacked my friends and ran off, after we gave them a beating." Yang stepped in.

"The White Fang?" the officer was surprised, as another walked up. "We haven't gotten any trouble for them, in a while. Thought they were all laying low."

"It was just a couple of thugs." Qrow brushed past Yang, holding his hands up, to not seem like a threat. "Probably didn't like us, 'cause none of us are Faunus." He gestured at the team. "One of 'em got a little trigger-happy." he noted the scorch marks on the ground, which the police did not know were actually caused by Yang and her gauntlets.

"We need to report this to headquarters." The other officer said.

"Sure. But, hey, no need to make a big deal of it, right?" Qrow friendlily asked.

"If it was just a couple of thugs, as you said, then I guess not. But, we're going to need an official statement, for the record." he told Qrow.

"Fine. Do I have to go in?" He did not want to waste time.

"Not necessary." The officer waved a hand. "Just a few words. Follow me, sir!" Qrow did so. They went over to their vehicle, where the officer took out some papers he began to fill out, listening to Qrow's account.

"Why didn't he tell them the truth?" Yang asked Ruby.

"We can't cause a panic." Jaune repeated what Qrow told them and what Ozpin always told Qrow. They watched as Qrow handed the officer some credentials, who inspected them.

"Signal Academy?" he read Qrow's official place of work, in surprise. "From Vale? A little far from school, aren't you?" the officer asked. "What's this? Some field-trip?" he asked, guessing why he was traveling with a group of armed kids.

"Yep. Takin' em around for some fieldwork. Beats class." Qrow told him.

"It sure does." The officer could relate in some way. He handed Qrow his papers back, fortunately misinterpreting the purpose of their visit. The others watched as Qrow scribbled a quick signature on the report, at the end of it and they were done. The officers nodded at the rest of them and Qrow waited until they sped off.

"Wouldn't it be better for all of us if the police kept an eye out for the Fang?" Yang asked Qrow, as they joined him.

"Sure. Would be nice to walk down the street not lookin' over our shoulders or not sleep with one eye open. But, the people of the city would wanna know why the police are suddenly everywhere. Word would get around sooner or later and all that negativity, too. And when the White Fang _would_ make their move, it'd be _Vale_ all over, again." Qrow told her. "Tch. And it still might be." he added, with some anger. "The fact is, the White Fang _was_ laying low. But, chances are they won't be for much longer. An attack is coming. And they're part of it. Just like they were at Beacon." he reasoned.

"They made all those people afraid and angry just to make the Grimm come to the city." Jaune recounted. "You think they'll do the same, here? Make people feel all of that? But how?" Jaune asked him.

"There, they had Atlas' tech turn on everyone to make it look like the military and the schools were the enemy. We figured, later, they also tempered with the fights in the tournament, to get…" He glanced at Ruby. "The crowd to feel what they needed them to. We couldn't see any of it, until it was too late." He cast his gaze on the ground. "And here…" He extend a hand. "There's no tellin' _what_ they'll do to get the same results. That is, if they _wanna do_ the same thing, to begin with." Qrow explained with due worry. "That's why we need' talk t' Lionheart. Maybe he has some ideas." he said with some hope.

"Which way to Haven, then?" Yang asked him.

"Back the way you came. And up." Qrow nodded in the direction and started walking with them. "Oz helped built the school, so it's not exactly in the middle of the city, but on the edge of it, like Beacon. That way, there's plenty o' room for hunters-in-training to practice and let loose, without worrying too much about city property." Qrow explained. "Heh. Not that _headmasters_ cut 'em any slack for wrecking _their_ property." he added with a laugh.

"Ozpin was always so _cool_ about that stuff." Yang commented, remembering the man was always oddly reserved and even supportive about their antics, even going as far as bending the rules for them.

"But, we sure gave Professor Goodwitch work." Ruby sheepishly smiled.

" _They have certainly kept up_ _ **that**_ _tradition."_ Ozpin commented in Oscar's head, with mild amusement.

"Yeah. But, we definitely wouldn't've got away with any of it, at the other academies. Especially Atlas." Yang pointed out. "I bet Ozpin was, like, the weird one out of all the headmasters. You know what I mean?" Everyone stopped and Yang kept smiling, until she noticed the look everyone had, as they kept glancing at one another, hesitant about something. "What?"

"Should we tell her, now?" Ruby asked Qrow and looked at Oscar.

"Tell me what?" Yang was puzzled and looked at Oscar, wondering what it was about him that had anything to do with what they were talking about and whatever they were going to tell her.

"Might as well keep going, while we're at it." Qrow said, moving on. After a few seconds and continued staring from Yang he started. "The things is, Ozpin isn't really gone. He didn't really die at Beacon, in his fight with that Cinder girl." Qrow told her and she stopped, after walking only a short distance. Qrow waved for her to keep up. "I know that's what I told you and it's what everyone else believes, including Ironwood and the faculty from Beacon. Not even _they_ know the truth."

"The truth?" Yang asked.

"That Oz can't die. Not in the way everyone else does, at least. He lives on by…" He looked at Oscar. "Finding someone and sharing his mind with them. Their memories slowly become one. The person remains who they were." He was, in a way, telling it to Oscar to assure him he would not lose himself. "But, everything the last person knew, they'll also know." Yang stopped, again, to stare. "Oscar, here, is the next person in that line. Right now, Ozpin lives on inside him. And he's been listening to everything we've said so far, too." Yang only noticed the retracted handle of a cane on Oscar's belt, recognizing it.

"Th-that's…" she whispered.

"It's his." Oscar stated. "Or, I guess it's mine, now." He shrugged. Yang's mouth was agape, as she kept staring. Processing, with due difficulty.

" _Which reminds me. You will have to learn how to utilize both it and your own power."_ Ozpin told Oscar.

"I-I'm not a fighter." Oscar said to the side and Yang began to understand who he was talking to. "Or…uh, huntsman."

" _Not yet."_ Ozpin said and Oscar looked uncertain.

"Come on." Qrow told Yang, in particular, as they moved on. She kept looking at Oscar for a minute, before she spoke.

"So, is he _saying_ anything?" Yang asked, raising her voice some, suddenly anxious their much-liked mentor was literally with them, in spirit.

"Not right now. He did say it was good to see all of you. You, too, when he… _we_ saw you." Oscar told her.

"How does that work, exactly?" Jaune asked.

"Huh?" Oscar needed more.

"Can he hear and see everything _you_ can?" he asked more specifically.

"And more, I think." Oscar thought to mention and Qrow regarded him with intrigue, as he already suspected he would have some extra senses, because of Ozpin.

"More, how?" Yang asked.

"Well, back when we were at the train-station, I was having trouble with the ticket-dispenser. It wasn't working and it was raining, too. Then out of nowhere he just tells me to _be on my guard_." he made air-quotes, again. "I didn't know what he meant. But, then…this…large man showed up. He was kind of intimidating. He bashed the dispenser on the top and it gave me a ticket. He even told me I shouldn't let…small obstacles like that…block my path." he recalled the man's words. "I felt like I knew him. And after he was gone, _he_ …" Oscar pointed to his head. "Told me he was someone he knew. From his past. Some who _shouldn't be taken lightly_ , he said." Oscar recalled, feeling it important to mention Ozpin's warning.

"Who was it?" Qrow asked, narrowing his eyes. He did not expect the boy and Ozpin would run into someone like that so soon. Oscar listened for a second.

"No one _you_ know." he told Qrow, who scrounged up his face, annoyed.

"Eh, great!" he dryly, exclaimed. "We didn't know that Tyrian guy, either. But, he sure knew _me_. And he was after Ruby. And he probably knew the rest of you, too." he nodded at the team. "But this other guy didn't know _you_!" he told Oscar, with more vigor. "Which means we got our secret weapon." he nearly whispered, likening Oscar to one, who did not feel at all comfortable being thought of as a weapon. "Or element of surprise, if that's better." Qrow added, seeing his reaction. "Maybe Salem isn't fooled, but the rest of them sure don't seem to have any idea Oz is still around."

"Wait...Salem _knows_?" Ruby was surprised.

"She and Oz have been fighting for longer than any of us can imagine." He raised his voice back up. "So, yeah. She knows a lot of the cards he can play. Good chance she knows this one, too." Qrow told her and looked at Oscar.

"So, who's Salem?" Yang firmly asked, as she was feeling out of the loop, again. Jauned stepped next to her.

"Well, it…turns out that Cinder-woman…Pyrrha fought, wasn't the one who was really calling the shots." Jaune told her. "They weren't just some…random criminals trying to destroy the schools and the city. They're all working for this ultimate evil woman. And she's behind everything. Cinder and her team. Torchwick and the White Fang."

"Pawns." Qrow stated. "And Cinder, in particular, isn't just some flunky wanting to climb the ranks in their organization. She's gotta have a more important part in Salem's plan. Especially if she had her steal a Maiden's power for her." Qrow noted.

"Maiden?" Yang gave him a strange look.

"Ho-oh, no. We're not getting into that, right now." Qrow picked up the pace, going ahead of her.

"Wh-? Hey!" Yang called after him.

"We'll tell you, later." Jaune told her, putting a hand on her shoulder and Ruby nodded to her.

"Fine." Yang irritably accepted. They caught up to Qrow, who was taking more than a sip from his flask, standing in front of a yellow motorcycle. He turned and gave Yang a little smirk, who wondered what it was about. She stood next to him and saw there was a ticket stuck on the windshield of her precious bike for a parking violation. "You've gotta kidding me!" she exclaimed, as she inspected it. Qrow let out a chuckle and Yang gave him a puffy glare.

"No good deed goes unpunished." Ren commented, with some sympathy.

" _I was going to say that."_ Oscar heard in his head and remained silent.

"We've got bigger things to worry about than a parking ticket, right?" Yang crumpled the piece of paper in her hand, but still took the time to find a nearby trash can to throw it in. "If good deeds get punished, then _maybe_ they'll ignore a bad one." Yang wittily shrugged. Qrow started off, again. They followed him, with Ruby and Yang catching up to walk on either side of him.

"So, does anyone know why the White Fang was after us? We know that Tyrian guy was after Ruby. Were they after her, too?" Jaune asked Qrow, from behind him.

"Not sure. They didn't like _me_ very much." Qrow noted with a shrug.

"Who wouldn't like a cool old guy like you?" Yang teased him, knowing he did not like being called old. Qrow glared her way as he continued.

"Well, they seemed t' think we were out t' stop some plan o' theirs. And they weren't wrong. But, it'd be good t' know what that plan is, first." he summarized, since Yang arrived after everything was said.

"Oh, hey! That creepy scorpion guy said he was also interested in Jaune." Nora helpfully brought it up, raising a hand, offering the idea for consideration.

"Egh, don't remind me." Jaune groaned with a shudder and Nora giggled.

"A scorpion-faunus? Wow." Yang asked. "Never seen _that_ before."

"Lucky you." Jaune told her, then remembered Qrow's semblance and quickly looked at him, to see he threw him a glance, from the corner of his eye. Jaune averted his eyes, not feeling completely sorry for the comment.

"So, why was he after you?" She leaned forward to see Ruby from Qrow, looking from her to him and noticed the hesitant look she gave to him.

"Um..." Ruby meekly started.

"Oh, so after telling me Ozpin's basically a friendly ghost, now; and that some _super_ evil woman - he's been fighting for who knows how long - is sending all sorts of guys after us, you still have to tell me about some Maidens and, now, there's more?" Yang exclaimed in frustration, throwing up her arms.

"Told you." Ruby gave her a weak smile, as she did tell her they had a lot to catch her up on.

"I got someone, here, who wouldn't even have to say a word and you would know everything." Oscar said, only half-jokingly, walking next to Jaune, on his right, with Ren and Nora.

"Y-y-yeah. I...don't think so." Yang slowly declined. "Would that even work? Like, did it ever happen?" She had to ask, because of the obvious implications of sharing two minds of the opposite gender. Oscar looked at the ground, for a moment.

"No." He shook his head.

"Heh. Bet _that_ would've been an _experience_." Qrow commented.

 _"It certainly would have been...interesting."_ Ozpin said, with both intrigue and worry. Yang sighed.

"This is gonna be a _long_ …late-afternoon.'" she commented, noting the time of day and how tired she already was. "Been on the road since morning." she added, stretching.

"Well, we...walked for a few of hours." Ruby looked at her uncle's back, omitting they were also carrying him. "Fought a huge Grimm that wasn't in any of the books in school!" Ruby raised her voice, almost complainingly. "Then an airship picked us up. It was almost noon when we got to the city and...we've been sleeping, since. Uncle Qrow, too." she added.

"That Grimm had to be really tough, then. Was it an alpha?" Yang asked.

"I hope not!" Ruby said with alarm, as she considered it.

"That would mean there are _more_ out there." Jaune said, not liking that possibility.

"There aren't." Ren stated. "It was one of a kind." he assured them.

"Let's hope!" Jaune said. "It took all of us to bring it down. And the four of us couldn't do _anything_ against that Tyrian guy. If we're up against people like _him_ , then we're..." he trailed off, seemingly losing his confidence, as he balled his fists, then sighed, relaxing them. "We're going to need all the help we can get." he said, out loud, but made fists, again, as he told himself he needed to get better, vowing he would. For his friends. For the world. For Pyrrha. They could not see Qrow lower his gaze, angrily thinking of a particular person, who could have been a valuable ally, but she lived by different principles.

"Hey, don't get so down in the dumps." Yang tried to keep his spirit up, knowing what it felt like to sink into such a dark place. "Even back at the academy we took on stuff that was _way_ above us as first-years." she raised her hands to gesture as she pointed out and left her prosthetic up, looking at it as a reminder. "And then some." she added, somberly. "We lost a fight. But it shouldn't stop us." she repeated her father's words. "And it didn't! We got up." she noted what they have already accomplished. "And we're gonna hit back. _Harder_ and _smarter_!" She slammed her fists together. Jaune nodded, finding comfort and encouragement in her words.

"Sounds like someone's got a little quality training-time with their dad." Qrow heard Taiyang in her words.

"Hah, yup." Yang smiled.

"Just don't _over_ -think things." Qrow told her, critiquing Taiyang through her. "You gotta have some balance between that and good old instinct. Plus, some style!" he exclaimed, with a smile. "But you got that down." he nodded at her.

"So, more brains, then. Boring!" Nora commented and Qrow laughed, partially agreeing with her.

"Only if you use one a lot more than the other. Like I said, balance." he told her. "You can't always hammer down on everything, but..." he paused. "You won't always have the time to come up with a plan or...listen to the strategist." he glanced behind him, at Jaune, then continued, as he faced forward. "Not every opponent will let you. And not necessarily because _they_ spend less time thinkin'. Even if some of 'em _are_ just plain crazy." he quietly referred to Tyrian. "But, some won't care how much you think or train. And with them, neither will be enough."

"That sounds like what the Professor told us, once. The last part, anyway." Ruby recalled.

"Yeah! Before we went to Mountain Glenn." Yang pointed out and a finger at her.

"Now I know why you sound like him, sometimes." Ruby smiled at Qrow, who returned it, after glancing at her.

Crossing from one quarter of the city to the other meant a comfortable downhill and uphill trek along winding brick roads and stairs. Cable-carts, passing above them, were mainly used by tourists, the elderly or the very young.

"Oh, we should go on one of those!" Nora pointed up at one, tugging on Ren's arm. "You know, after we talked to that Lion." she added and Ren nodded with a smile, hoping they will have the chance. They neared the bottom of the path, a narrow stone bridge that connected one quarter to the other, over a dense, dark forest, teeming with wildlife and echoing with its many sounds. Ruby and Yang walked on either side of the bridge, close to the stone railing, looking down the entire time. Jaune was also taken by the view. He lowered his gaze, feeling a sadness over not being able to share the moment with the person without who none of them might have even made that far. He knew he would not have. Looking at the golden accents on his armored hand, he told himself that, in a way, she was with him. And always will be. They made it across to another serpentine road leading up, when Oscar suddenly stopped.

"What!? Being surrounded by who?" he asked. Qrow whipped around upon hearing it and without even asking for clarification turned back, lifting his sword off his back. Without question, Ruby and Ren readied their weapons in their gun-mode, Nora and Jaune looked for anything close by and Yang held up her fists, loading her gauntlets to punch whoever it was, even from afar. Armed men and women, all bearing Grimm-masks, appeared on the ledges of the winding road and several more climbed up behind them, from the pillars of the bridge. The same ram and antelope Faunus was leading the new pack that had three times the manpower, over three dozen, outnumbering them almost five to one.

"No...more...games!" The ram repeated his last words, hate and building rage seething from him and his hurt pride. He raised his hand, signaling all to aim and fire.

 _"We must act, now!"_ Oscar heard Ozpin and before the former had time to ask how, he instructed him. _"Quickly! Take my cane and hold it firmly, with both hands!"_ Oscar did so, somewhat feebly, uncertain what he was going to have him do. _"Now, concentrate! Think of a shield you would need to protect yourself and everyone! An aura that extends beyond both! Imagine it and strike the ground! Now!"_ Oscar hesitated, before tightly shutting his eyes. He knelt and hit the hard stone with the tip of the cane, in the second the shots were fired. An emerald flash engulfed them, as a dome of energy rapidly expanded, passing through the team, absorbing the bullets. It erupted, creating a shockwave that sent their would-be assailants flying back, some plummeting to their demise, off the bridge, amidst screams. Qrow and the rest gaped, looking outwards from the epicenter of it all, at the scattered bodies of their enemies. Most have lost consciousness, while a few slowly stirred where they were lying on the ground, unable to fully come to their senses. Everyone standing turned to Oscar to see he was just as surprised as them, marveling at the display of power. He stared at Qrow, who understood what happened.

"That was some fast coaching, there, Oz." he addressed him, with a deep sigh of relief. "Didn't think you could already pull something like that with the kid."

 _"It came from your will, Oscar. The power we share could not have been called upon without it_." Ozpin told him. Oscar remained silent, mulling over what he did and wondering what else he was or will be capable of, as they kept looking at each other with Qrow, who did not know if he would even get a reply. He raised a brow, leaning forward, wanting to hear some answer, but Oscar merely shrugged at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Anything?" Qrow pressed him.

"He said it was my will. The power doesn't work without it." Oscar told him, slightly irritably, feeling as if he was a relay tower between Qrow and Ozpin.

"Is that it?" Qrow impatiently asked, expected more.

"Yes!" Oscar told him, raising his voice.

 _"Calm down!"_ Ozpin said.

"Calm down!" Oscar repeated and Qrow was taken aback.

 _"I meant you."_ Ozpin clarified.

"Oh." Oscar realized.

 _"Well...both of you need to calm down, I suppose."_ Ozpin observed.

"Alright, I hear ya." Qrow told both Ozpin and Oscar, aware he was over-reacting. "Look, the police're gonna swarm this place, soon. And I don't wanna be here when they do." he told all and they started running uphill, further into the quarter. From a rooftop, looking down on the scene, stood a man clad in pitch black. His coat-tail and swept-back, spiky, red hair was lightly being blown by the wind, eyes covered and shielded from it by a grimm-visor, through which his eyes followed the gang. Whatever was visible of his face was pensive. A taller man, of darker complexion, wearing a white vest and full face-mask, stood with him.

"We did not expect they would retaliate with such force." he stated, almost apologizing on the behalf of those who failed in their mission. "It was a rogue-cell, but still. This ambush should have been successful."

"They've clearly underestimated them." Adam stated, feeling less sympathy for the ones who overstepped their bounds. "We'll learn from their failure." he added, as he looked at the small retreating form of Oscar. "Then, we'll have more to offer our new partner."

"Mr. Rainart should be meeting with High-Leader Kahn, soon. A transport is waiting for us, sir." the Lieutenant informed him and Adam wordlessly left with him.

Upon reaching the first street, they found themselves in a far livelier quarter of the city, packed with merchants and their stalls, with citizens bustling between them, some stepping away, for a brew, in quaint pubs that were lining the ground-floors. After unintentionally mingling with the crowd that swept them up, they rode its wave to a small rustic cafe, on the corner of a building. It was more modern than the rest of the buildings. Influenced by the culture not native to the Kingdom itself. Styled to appear more old-fashioned and blend more, but was still distinct.

"I need drink." Yang stated, as they stopped.

"Ph-heh. Whatever. But, if Tai finds out, I ain't takin' the blame, again." Qrow told her.

"I meant a soda!" Yang put her hands on her hips, leaning towards him. "Wait...again?" She arced a brow, letting her hands down. Qrow looked down at Ruby from the corner of his eyes, who shifted, not-too-uncomfortably.

"I...kinda tried drinking from Uncle Qrow's flask, once." Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "When we were still at Signal. I got dizzy and my stomach hurt and I had to be excused from the last two classes that day." she sheepishly told the story.

"Yeah. And yer dad got on my back for it!" Qrow had his hands on his hips. "He still believes I gave it to you." He folded them.

"I thought it would make me cooler." Ruby lowered her had.

"Gee, I wonder why." Yang looked at Qrow and turned to walk in.

"Where're you goin'?" Qrow called after her.

"I'm getting us a table!" Yang replied, entering the cafe.

"We need t'get to Ha-...!" Qrow stopped, knowing it was futile. He sighed and looked at Oscar, to hear if Ozpin had anything to say.

"Don't look at me." Oscar muttered and shrugged. Qrow squinted at him. "It's what he said." Oscar added and Qrow's eyes briefly widened, before he shot him and Ozpin a glare. With a grunt, he turned and followed Yang inside. Everyone followed suit, filing in and surprisingly not feeling the eyes of the local patrons on themselves. They were likely used to seeing younger huntsmen and huntresses, with all their personal flare showing in their appearance, in a place that blended the styles of old with the new. Yang was already lounging in a corner-table, waving for them.

 _"What a charming place."_ Ozpin remarked, contently. _"There is much less likelihood of being bothered by...emboldened strangers, in such establishment."_ he added.

"What?" Oscar asked, out loud, noticing the glances he received both from the team and from others.

 _"Drunken men."_ Ozpin rephrased it.

"We...sort of got one." Oscar glanced ahead, at Qrow.

 _"Well, he is...not harmless."_ Ozpin admitted. Ruby slid in next to Yang, on her right, followed by Jaune and Oscar. Qrow, Nora and Ren sat from the left side. All were looking at Oscar, who was making uncomfortable grimaces.

"Ozpin?" Yang asked.

"He was just telling me he was...punched in the face, before, if...you can believe that?" Oscar replied.

"Not...really." Ruby could not imagine it.

"Sure _can't_!" Yang exclaimed. "When and how?" she wanted to know, leaning in with palms on the table.

"Well, they...were in bar. In Vale." Oscar slowly recalled, describing the scene. "It was full. Dim. But lively. With scones on the walls. There were some thugs. Bothering people. And, uh... _someone_ started a fight with them." he looked at Qrow, as did the others.

"Good times." Qrow said, leaning back, arms resting up on the back of the padded seat.

 _"A pair of broken glasses notwithstanding."_ Ozpin concurred. A barista walked up to their table, with a notepad, pen and wide smile, flipping wavy auburn hair behind her back. She wore a dark-brown apron over a uniform that consisted of a white, button-up shirt and fake-leather skirt, with boots.

"Good afternoon! My, what a colorful group of young fellows!" she looked at the children and smirked at Qrow, flirtingly including him. "You must be from the Academy!"

"You could say it's summer school." Qrow replied, subtly moving his sword out of sight, as did the rest. Most barely had room to hide their weapons. "For some extra credit." Qrow added.

"Oh, we're no strangers to hunstmen and their...tools of the trade. We don't usually see so many, at once." she added with some nervousness. A few moments of silence came from her, as she looked more closely at them. The fresh scars they had. The marks of wear and tear on their clothes and weapons. She realized that the one obvious adult in the group was not the only one who had seen battle. She shook herself, regaining her cheerful composure. "Then...what'll you have for some refreshment?" She looked at Oscar, starting with him.

"Um...lemonade?" Was Oscar's choice.

"Apple-juice." came from Jaune.

"Milk!" Ruby squeaked, with more enthusiasm than what it warranted, if any. The barista giggled, then looked at Yang.

"D'you have energy drinks?" Yang asked and received a nod.

"Mhm."

"Then, whatever you got." Yang left it for her to decide.

"Whiskey. For the road, too." Qrow held up his flask, as she got to him.

"Coffee!" Nora exclaimed.

"Nora!" Ren forbiddingly shook his head.

"Aww..." Nora pouted. "Hot chocolate!" she revised. "Do you have pancakes?" she blurted out, leaning forward, expectantly.

"Sure do." came the reply and the barista looked at Ren.

"I'll have the same." he replied.

"Oh." The barrister smiled, glancing up and between them, as she was writing.

"I'll be right back!" she turned to get their order.

"Huh. Figured you for a tea-person." Qrow told Ren, as he leaned back to spread and rest his arms on the back of the bench, again.

"So, summer school, huh?" Yang looked at Qrow.

"Well, I _am_ a teacher." Qrow shrugged with only his hands, letting them flop back down.

"You are?" Oscar raised a brow in surprise and disbelief. Then a memory hit him. "Oh. You are." He muttered, still finding it somewhat difficult to believe.

"Hard to believe, right?" Yang friendlily asked, snickering, as she thumbed at Qrow, who rolled his eyes with a grunt.

 _"Even he finds it hard to believe, sometimes."_ Ozpin commented in Oscar's mind.

"Right." Oscar said, out loud to both Yang and Ozpin.

"And now we know why you were away from the school a lot." Yang said to Qrow, glancing at Ruby, adding to their earlier realization of why he also sounded like Ozpin. "So, you used to hang out and get into fights?" she laughingly asked, unable to picture Ozpin in such a situation. Qrow, however, easily.

"Told you our team was the coolest." Qrow stated, matter-of-factly. "So was Oz. Used to leave his office more." he added. "Glynda, too. And Ironwood was _maybe_ a little less uptight. If you can believe _that_."

"Well..." Jaune started with an edge to his voice. "What we believe doesn't seem to really matter much, anymore." Everyone looked at him. Qrow raised a brow. "It'll be just turned upside down the next time we...hear a story." Jaune looked pointedly at him. "Or meat someone." he added, glancing at Oscar and was likely thinking of Tyrian, as well.

"Way t' bring the mood down, kid! Thought you were onboard." Qrow told him, as Jaune seemed to have put his own issues aside, earlier.

"Of course I am! But it doesn't make things...!" he paused to lower his voice back down, remembering where they were. "Any less crazy." he finished.

"It's not supposed to." Qrow told him. "Y' think I took it any better, when Oz brought me int' the fold? Sure, I was a few years older. Already graduated and all. But it sure didn't make any of it easier." Qrow said, pulling his arms off the back of the seat and he leaned forward, with his hands on the table. "I asked the same questions you kids had. I was angry at the world, too! And I also lost a friend!" Qrow realized his slip the moment he said it and he could not keep himself from glancing at Ruby as he averted his eyes, away from all of them and especially her. Yang looked from him to her sister and back to Qrow, who was mentally kicking himself. He attempted to get up and leave, before he remembered where he sat, right in the middle of the table, blocked on both sides. He sat back down, in silence.

"Who...are you...?" Jaune hesitated to ask who he was talking about, as he saw how Ruby and Yang were reacting. The barista returned with their drinks, at that moment, timely interrupting and diffusing the situation, whether Qrow would have said anything more or not.

"Here you go! The pancakes are coming." she told Nora and Ren as she started to serve all of them.

"That was fast." Yang commented on how quickly she made her round and the barista flashed her a smile, as she placed a small bottle of whiskey in front of Qrow, enough for a few glasses and to refill his flask.

"Thanks." Qrow could not force a smile and noticed some commotion on the street, through the windows.

"Hey, what's going on out there?" Jaune asked, also noticing it.

"Oh, yeah! A lot of police are going to the bridge." the barista remembered what her colleagues were whispering about. "They're saying there was a fight. Even the Atlas military is there!"

"Atlas is here?" Yang asked in surprise.

"They have troops stationed here, all the time. But there seems to be a lot more of them around, lately. They're all lead by that Schnee woman with the white hair!" Ruby's eyes widened. "She even came in here, once. Was a little scary." she added and Ruby shot up, scooting around everyone, before Yang or Qrow could stop her.

"Uh, Ruby?" Jaune called after her as she made it past him and Oscar, getting free of the table.

"Where are you going!?" Yang asked, as Ruby started leaving.

"Excuse me, Miss! Your order!" the Barista called after her and Ruby stopped. She went back, reached across the table for her glass of milk, quickly gulped it down, then wiped her mouth with her hand and covered a burp, then made her way towards the exit even faster.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, standing up. She looked at the others, who, with the exception of Oscar and Qrow, all drank their order without a word and followed Ruby. The barista kept turning as they passed her. Yang snatched up the can of energy drink, taking it with her.

"He'll pick up the cheque." she told her, thumbing at Qrow, as she left. Oscar, with his glass of lemonade in front of him, looked at Qrow. The latter rose, taking out his wallet, as Oscar quickly but carefully drank his order.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Qrow handed her a few Lien bills that he knew would cover the expenses, with enough left for a generous tip.

At the site of the incident, the police and Atlas soldiers were in the middle of rounding up all the White Fang members who were conscious and waking those that were not. From the top of the road, a tall woman, with white hair in a bun, was observing the scene, hands behind her back. She wore white pants and a coat with a red brooch, exposed upper arms and black gloves.

"Have any of them said anything? Do we know what happened to them?" she asked a subordinate.

"No ma'am!" Was all the answer she received, irking her, though, she kept it from showing.

"Winter!" She heard a voice call her by her first name. Knowing her sister was back at their home, a continent away, she briefly had to wonder who it could have possibly belonged to. She found out as soon as she turned and saw her sister's friend run towards her. The girl appeared be dressed somewhat differently from how she remembered her. "Winter! Hi!" she addressed her, stopping in front of her and waving a hand.

"Ruby Rose. What are _you_ doing _here_?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Before she could have gotten a suspiciously vague and unsatisfying answer from her, she looked over her head and instantly felt her already sour mood turn worse, when she saw her friends and the man who was trailing behind them. "You have got to be joking." she said. "You!" she sneered at Qrow, glaring cold daggers of ice into him, which she likely could have done literally.

"Well, if it ain't the _special_ snow-flake!" Qrow mocked her title as an Atlas Specialist.

"What are you doing here? And why are these kids with you?" she shot back.

"Hey! Who are you calling a _kid_?" Yang talked back and got a glare from her. Winter directed her attention back at Qrow.

" _Why_ are you here?" Winter asked, quickly losing patience with him, just from his mere presence.

"Sorry! I'm afraid that's...classified." Qrow used what he considered to be one of the most overused words in the military, unknowingly imitating Winter herself with it, who found it far more irritating because of it.

"You will tell me! Or I will have you arrested!" she threatened him.

"I'd tell ya t'do yer worst, but I got more import'nt things to take care of than you _or_ your men." Qrow turned to leave.

"Hey, wait!" Ruby yelled after him and faced Winter. "Where's Weiss? Is she okay? Is she here?" she asked, her voice rising with every question and Winter's expression softened, as she looked at hers.

"No." she shook her head, turning sad. "She's still in Atlas." she told Ruby and could see how shattered she was by the answer. "Why are you even here?" she asked her, more gently.

"Kiddo!" Qrow called for her and shook his head when Ruby looked at him, telling her not to say anything.

"School-trip." Ruby told her, with any enthusiasm she had gone from her voice and walked away.

" _School_ trip?" Winter repeated, knowing full well the state of Beacon Academy. She looked their group over and her eyes stopped on the farmhand, recognizing the cane he was holding as the same one she knew Professor Ozpin had. She had even more reason to suspect that not only were they in Mistral on unofficial business, off the books, but that it had something to do with Beacon Academy's former headmaster. She also found their presence near the scene of an apparently thwarted White Fang attack to be more than coincidence, given their group's history with the organization.

"Ma'am!" A female soldier, in full armor, came running up to her. "We've just received an emergency transmission from the airport. A group of White Fang has seized the control tower. They've taken hostages and they're demanding to see..." she looked at the gang. "Well... _them_!" she pointed to the gang, who all turned around, having heard her report.

" _What?_ " Winter did a back and forth between her and them, now certain they were connected. "Explain!" she told them.

"You really wanna waste time with that? Or d'ya wanna get over there?" Qrow asked her.

Winter kept glaring and proceeded to the nearest airship, followed by Qrow and the rest. They walked aboard a small carrier. Oscar did so with some hesitation, as it was different from a train-ride. They took off, towards the city's airport, which also housed units from both Mistral's and Atlas' military.

"No way they're going to attack the place and not try and steal our carriers." The co-pilot was saying to the pilot.

"I'd say they got enough of our ships, already. One more won't make a difference." The pilot replied and the co-pilot silently stared at him, before facing ahead, finding his realism even worse than his own expectation. Several Atlasian shuttles flew across the dusky skies with them.

"Not seein' any of yer tin-can bodyguards around." Qrow observed the lack of any Atlasian Knights. Their absence was not surprising, after the battle of Beacon and the loss of reputation their military had suffered. Winter remained silent as they stood at the door, looking down on the landscape that quickly turned from houses to hangars and docking bays. They were coming up on the control tower, when several surface-to-air missiles were fired from positions along the roof of the building the tower was a part of. All shuttles deployed flares, tricking their targeting systems and diverting the threat. The missiles hit their flares and exploded at a safe enough distance from them. Ruby was eyeing the roofs, likely thinking of a way to get to the ground, as they were unable to land from the fire.

"Don't even think about it!" She turned to look at her uncle. "There's no landin' strategy that'll get you down there safely." Qrow told her. "Not for any of you, as far as I can tell." he told all of them, having seen what they were capable of with the aid of their weapons. "Including you, blondie." He had to tell Yang, who was giving him the kind of confident smile that said she was accepting a challenge he was not even giving her and her face fell. The recoil from their weapons would not have slowed their fall enough.

"We have to get to ground!" Winter stated.

"You don't say!" Qrow sarcastically retorted.

"Something is happening!" Jaune exclaimed and they could see movement on the roof. Four individuals, dressed in far more color than the White Fang, were advancing on their position. One of the dots was purple with a bit of light-green and was moving much faster than the rest. It took Ruby and the rest a second to recognize a familiar tomboyish, hoverboard-riding huntress-in-training, hailing from Haven Academy. Reese Chloris was drawing enemy fire, zig-zagging, as the rest of team ABRN were running in. Nadir Shiko was returning their fire with his assault rifle. They began to rout the few White Fang members who were dug in on the roof. Some attempted to fight them hand-to-hand, as they closed-in, only to get the end of Bolin Hori's staff and Reese's board slammed in their face. Those who fled had to keep dodging shots from Shiko, while one had their feet lassoed and yanked from under them by the team's, Arslan Altan. As everyone on the shuttle crowded on one side to observe the fight, Qrow quietly stepped away and casually let himself fall backwards and out of the shuttle, on the other side. He immediately shapeshifted and dived all the way to the tower. He had full confidence that the new arrivals would take care of any White Fang outside, but he knew he had to move fast if he still wanted to catch the ones inside by surprise. At best they were expecting Atlas soldiers. Not skilled students from the local academy. And certainly not a soaring ninja, such as himself. Winter turned from the action to find he was gone.

"Where did he go?" she exclaimed, bewildered. Ruby also turned around, when she heard her.

"Uncle Qrow?" She looked around. At the same time she uttered her own confusion a crow landed on the seal of one of the open windows, in front of an unsuspecting White Fang member keeping guard.

"Shoo! Shoo!" He tried scaring it away, but it was not moving. "Hngh, dumb bird." He shook his head with an annoyed sigh. "Well, I guess you're staying." he told it and the bird hopped from the seal to land behind him, as he started to close the window. He pulled it shut, when Qrow sprang up behind him and patted him on the shoulder, scaring him. "Huh?" The man whipped around in surprise to get a fist in the face that knocked him out cold. Outside, the shuttle carrying the gang landed without any further complications and all, except Winter, rushed towards the tower.

"Wait!" she called after them, trying to prevent them from running into the situation without assessing it first. They heard several shots being fired, then nothing but silence, apart from the hum of engines. The pilot put his hand to his communication-device built into his helmet and listened.

"Ma'am they're escaping on the other side!" he told Winter, who followed the others, quickly catching up to them with her considerable speed. As they circled around the building, they saw the White Fang fleeing the scene, in groups of dozens, attempting to hijack unmanned shuttles stationed on the ground. One of them started to take off and lifted from the asphalt, barely gaining any altitude, when a person, wielding an enormous sword, leapt from behind it. He had a dark complexion, with sage green, spiky hair and yellow eyes. He wore a white long coat, with a golden pauldron on his right shoulder. Green wings were on the side of it and he had no shirt underneath, displaying wings tattooed on his chest, as well a white belt and a yellow buckle that fastened his dark pants. Sage Ayana brought his sword down on the craft, slashing one of its engines clean off, making it crash to the ground, his own feet touching down seconds before it.

"Aw, man! Our carrier!" the co-pilot, from earlier, cried, leaning forward as he gripped his control wheel.

"Another line in my report." the other pilot calmly commented.

"Oh, you are so jaded!" the co-pilot turned towards him, complaining.

"Hey, look at it this way. You don't owe me a drink." the other replied.

Sage stood, turning to face his handy-work, as White Fang members started climbing out of the transport and drew their weapons. All of them were shot out of their hands, with precision, by an old-fashioned flintlock and a modern assault rifle, belonging to Scarlet David and Neptune Vasilias, respectively. They joined their teammate and the three members of SSN kept their side of the situation under-control.

"Neptune!?" Ruby shouted.

"Hey, what's up!" He waved at them. "Welcome to Mistral, uh, kind of!" He was apologizing for the circumstances, giving them a shrug, while still aiming, as Atlas soldiers arrived, moments later, to take over from them. Team ABRN made their way to them, as well, nodding to them in greeting. Ruby and the rest nodded back with an appreciative and friendly smile.

"Any of you seen an old guy with a red cape and a sword?" Yang asked them and they looked at one another, before all of them shook their heads.

"Where could he have gone?" Winter asked out loud. "And _how_?" More quietly.

The remaining White Fang made a last desperate attempt to find their means of transportation out of there, in the form of a shuttle that just arrived. Its engines were still running and the cargo-hold door was open, as its crew began unloading crates, before the fighting broke out. The White Fang did not waste time, as they stormed the lone vessel, appropriating it, with its crew at gunpoint. They ran inside the hold, with the intent of getting to the cockpit through it.

"They're getting away!" Ruby exclaimed. Nearly all of the White Fang who made it inside the ship came literally flying back out, as if tossed by something. A few staggered out, feebly blocking with their weapons that were shattered by the swipe of a large, glowing sword, wielded by a shining knight, its appearance that of a spirit.

"Hey! That looks like..." Nora started saying to Ren, as they were one of the few who ever saw something even remotely similar, at the battle of Beacon. Team ABRN exchanged looks with one another, also recalling something of the sort. Winter instantly knew what it was and who was responsible. The knight faced the ramp of the shuttle and ceremoniously knelt with the point of its sword in the ground. High-heels clacked as Weiss emerged, holding Myrtenaster in her left hand and her luggage in her right. The knight vanished as she recalled her summoning and took a few more steps to stand on Mistral's soil. She looked at the forces that gathered to quell the White Fang attack, her face filling with more joy at every familiar face she saw, as she also noted how much each had changed. Nora, Ren, Jaune. Seeing her sister warmed her even further. She noticed team ABRN and some of team SSSN, with Neptune, who gave her a winning and welcoming smile. Weiss did not even have the time to mentally ask where Ruby was, because as the thought of the latter's absence passed her, she felt an odd sensation and her attention snapped to the side to see her flying towards her, bursting forth from a bundle of rose petals. She could have had ample time to move out of the way, but decided not to and shut her eyes to brace for impact, with a smile.

"Weiss!" Her own name rang in her ears as she was tackled and she was fairly certain the ringing was also a result of the force that had her lying on the ground with the air being squeezed out of her. She cared for neither the lack of air, nor for her eardrums and not even for the coldness of the ground, as all of those ceased to exist as she smiled and hugged her dear friend back. The whole scene lasted for a few long seconds, before Ruby, herself, let go, stepping back to pull Weiss to her feet, only to embrace her, again, with tears welling in her eyes.

"I missed you so much!" Ruby sobbed into her shoulder and Weiss' own tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

"I missed you, too!" Weiss said and leaned back after a few more moments. "But, if you tell _anyone_...!" She point at Ruby, straining herself to appear serious, as she made her swear, before both of them burst into laughter. Everyone smiled at the scene, none more so than Winter, who had never seen her little sister so full of joy. That she was even making such jokes alone showed how much of an influence her time at Beacon had on her.

"What are you all doing here?" Weiss asked as they gathered around them.

"The woman Pyrrha went after." Jaune started. "She came here, after what she and the others did. And we know they're going to attack Haven Academy next." he said, turning to Neptune, putting pleasantries aside to note the urgency of their situation. Neptune became serious as he nodded to him in understanding.

"That has to be it!" Weiss exclaimed. "Before I left I heard my father arguing with General Ironwood. He told my father something is happening here in Mistral and that it came from you." She turned to her sister.

"I did send a report about suspicious activity. The White Fang have been strangely inactive in the entire region. We suspected they were consolidating their troops and avoiding any unnecessary confrontation, at least, until today." She nodded at the members who were being arrested. "Their strategy may have backfired. The lack of trouble from them was more concerning than their usual attacks. I felt something coming, so I sent a warning to the General." Winter related.

"Something _is_ coming." They turned to find Qrow walking up from the direction of the tower, hands in his pockets. "And the sooner we get to Haven, the sooner we can do something about it."

"Where were you!?" Winter could not keep her voice from rising.

"Somewhere _you_ weren't. Thankfully." Qrow retorted, standing next to Ruby and he noticed Weiss. "Hey, when did you get here, Ice Princess?" he asked her and Ruby jumped to punch him in the shoulder.

"Uncle Qrow!" she growled, defensively. He briefly stared, in surprise, then smiled at her reaction, with a chuckle.

"Professor Lionheart told us he was expecting guests from Vale." Neptune said. "We were actually hoping it'd be one of you guys. But, this is way better!" he grinned. "Come on!" he thumbed in the general direction of their objective. "We walk you there!" He beckoned them and with team ABRN they began escorting them to the academy, which they could see on a hill, against the setting sun. "Uh, that's kinda ominous." Neptune could be heard commenting.

"Did you really have to say that?" Jaune asked.

"Sorry!" Neptune apologized.

On the balcony of the academy, outside the study of its headmaster, stood a man with green eyes, black hair that was graying on the side and a most defining moustache. He wore a gray overcoat with yellow linings, a yellow dress shirt and black necktie. His pants were the same color as his overcoat and his yellow-buttoned undercoat and fingerless gloves matched his cordovan shoes. He was holding a small, seemingly old, but deceptively advanced spyglass to his right eye, peering through it, at the group that was leaving the airport. He held a scroll to his ear with his other hand, making a call.

"My apologies for interrupting you'h meeting." he spoke, as it was answered, with a refined accent. "Howeve'h, I felt it prudent to info'hm you, we may have a problem." He paused to listen to the person on the other end, as he kept his sight on Qrow, in particular. "Oh? Then, you're awa'e." His associate already knew the purpose of his call and was telling him how. "Ah, the young _bull_. Eage'h to prove himself, indeed. Apparently Tyrian was even less successful than he believed." he noted with disappointment and his scope moved to the boy, who was walking behind Qrow and on the cane he was carrying, all the while listening to the other person talk for several seconds. "I see. How peculia'h. Such an unassuming lad." he commented and listened, again. "Indeed. Judge a book not by its cove'h." he conceded, then sinisterly added "And I suspect this particula'h one might hold _quite_ a story."

THE END


End file.
